PAGE: Credentialing
Do you sense God’s call to join a team of leaders reaching people for Christ and developing healthy churches?
Stepping fully into God’s call for vocational ministry requires training and preparation, through both formal education and practical pastoral ministry experience. The Ministerial Formation office seeks to develop your passion and call by guiding you through the journey to becoming a credentialed minister in The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
A person who has fulfilled all the requirements for Ministerial Candidacy, has been interviewed and recommended by the MEGAP committee and approved by the Board of Administration, and is pursing either Commissioned Ministry or Ordained Ministry through a conference appointment at a local FM church.
A person who is called to one local church in a specialized ministry. CMs must complete three years of ministry experience under conference supervision (appointment at a local FM church as a Lead, Assistant or Associate Pastor) plus the required courses. There is one MEGAP interview after the MC has completed the ministry experience and educational requirements to become a Commissioned Minister. Following that interview and subsequent recommendation by MEGAP being approved by the Board of Administration, the Ministerial Candidate will be commissioned.
A person who is called to pastoral overseeing of a local church and wishes to be considered for any congregation in Canada. OMs complete four years of ministry experience as a MC under conference supervision (appointment at a local FM church as a Lead, Assistant or Associate Pastor), along with the required courses. There are two MEGAP interviews after the MC interview to become an Ordained Minister. Following the final interview and subsequent recommendation by MEGAP being approved by the Board of Administration, the Bishop of the FMCIC will ordain the Ministerial Candidate.
Steps to Credentialed Ministry
Are you hearing God’s call to full time service? The first step is to get involved in a local Free Methodist congregation.
The FMCIC consists of over 142 congregations across Canada. We need competent, spirit-led leaders to accomplish what God is calling us to do in his Kingdom. Get involved with one of our congregations as a first step. We build our leadership team through the local church. As you build a relationship with the pastor and local leaders you should consider becoming a member. This gives a clear sense of connection to our movement. During this time you should also discover your S.H.A.P.E. (see downloads section at the bottom of this page) if you have not already done so.
As the relationship progresses, the leadership team (official/governance board) of a local Free Methodist church will consider your request to become a licensed Lay Minister. As you and the pastoral leader discern God’s call, you will make a request to the official/governance board to be recommended for Ministerial Candidacy. This connects you to the FMCIC for consideration as a ministry leader in one of our congregations. To become a Ministerial Candidate, you will be asked to complete “tracking steps” and take our foundational courses. We will help you complete the tracking. The local pastor will provide coaching, and the FMCIC Director of Ministerial Formation will provide guidance through the tracking journey.
The Ministerial Candidacy Interview
After completing the tracking steps and foundational courses you will be scheduled for a Ministerial Candidacy interview with the Ministerial Education, Guidance and Placement Committee (MEGAP). For Commissioned Minister (CM) this is the first of two interviews with MEGAP. For those called to Ordained Minister (OM) this is the first of three interviews with MEGAP.
The Ministerial Formation Administrator will track with you on two things now: 1.) your ministry experience after you become a MC, which is done through a conference appointment at a local Free Methodist church as a Lead, Assistant or Associate Pastor, and 2.) your courses taken to meet the educational requirements for ordination or commissioning. The tracking is done on our database so please communicate with the Ministerial Formation Administrator to provide regular updates or any changes for your file.
Once you have successfully completed your ministry experience, educational requirements and your final interviews, all that remains is: 1) MEGAP recommends you for OM or CM, and 2) The Board of Administration of the FMCIC approves the MEGAP recommendation. An ordination service or commissioning service will be arranged between the candidate and the Bishop as a time to celebrate and affirm what God has done in your life.
